Deal for AIG unit caps record year for Chinese investment in U.S.
Chinese companies have snapped up $6.5 billion in U.S. assets this year, and the buying spree is expected to continue. Analysts suspect it will face greater political scrutiny.
By Don Lee and W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times

Capping a record year of Chinese deal-making in the U.S., a consortium of state-owned and private investors is planning the biggest Chinese takeover of an American company: $4.2 billion for one of the world's largest aircraft leasing firms.

The deal to buy 80.1% of International Lease Finance Corp., a Century City subsidiary of insurance giant American International Group Inc., followed a weekend auction in which another Chinese company bought three U.S. factories and other assets of electric-car battery maker A123 Systems Inc.

Chinese companies this year also have picked up AMC Entertainment, one of the largest movie theater chains in North America, as well as stakes in energy, real estate and other companies in service industries.

The deal for the aircraft leasing firm, which must be cleared by federal officials, is a likely harbinger of more and bigger deals to come and reflects the increasing sophistication of Chinese companies and their determination to expand into new markets and strengthen their technologies and global capabilities....